Atrial Septal Defect (ASD)

The most common type of ASD can usually be repaired with a minimally invasive procedure, but some types require open-heart surgery.

Minimally invasive closure

A cardiac catheterization procedure for ASD places a special device that closes the hole.

• You’ll receive a sedative to relax you, but you will remain awake during the procedure.
• After numbing the skin with a local anesthetic, your cardiologist will make a small incision in a vein near your groin and insert a tube called a catheter into the incision.
• Your cardiologist will thread a small ASD closure device through the catheter and into your heart and place it in the hole to close it. Tissue will eventually grow over the device to further seal the ASD.
• You’ll remain in the hospital for a few hours and perhaps overnight.
• You may be prescribed a blood thinner to take for a few months after your procedure.
• Your cardiologist will let you know when you can get back to your normal activities. Most people return to work in about a week, but you’ll need to limit your activities for several weeks.

After initial follow-up, you’ll have a yearly appointment with your cardiologist for ongoing monitoring.

Open-heart surgery

Minimally invasive ASD closure might not work for you if you have:

• A very large ASD
• An ASD in an unusual position
• Multiple heart defects

In that case, your team may recommend repairing your ASD through open-heart surgery.

This surgery is performed while you’re asleep under general anesthesia.

• Your heart surgeon will make an incision in your breastbone for access to the heart.
• You’ll be placed on a heart-lung bypass machine, which pumps blood through your body while your heart is stopped temporarily.
• Your surgeon will make an incision in your heart near the defect. They’ll stitch a patch, made from your own tissue or synthetic material, over the hole to close it.
• Your incisions are closed with sutures and the bypass machine is removed.
• You’ll be monitored in the intensive care unit after your surgery. It’s likely that you will have a breathing tube for a few hours.
• Recovery time is different for everyone. You may be in the hospital for five to 10 days, and gradually work your way back to normal activity over the next few months.
• Your cardiologist might recommend cardiac rehabilitation to help you recover.